The Mininno Law Office blog posted before about groundbreaking new treatment that can help prevent brain injuryand damage from occurring in newborns who have endured traumatic births. Now, that same treatment is being applied to adults who suffer cardiac arrest, reducing their risk of dying or suffering severe and permanent brain injuries.
Therapeutic Hypothermia
The treatment is called therapeutic hypothermia, and it is relatively new in the medical field. Therapeutic hypothermia involves lowering an unconscious patient’s temperature to between 32 and 34 degrees celsius using a “cooling blanket,” a special cap, or a mattress filled with either air or liquid. The aim of the treatment is to cool the patient’s brain and slow the rate of cell damage, therefore preventing irreversible brain injury or damage.
Because of the uncertainty that has surrounded the therapy for so long, not all practitioners provide it. So, while some hospitals do utilize therapeutic hypothermia to help thwart brain damage, other hospitals have yet to see it’s value. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has advised that health care professionals may consider therapeutic hypothermia for patients at risk of brain injury after cardiac arrest, under the hospital’s usual guidelines for experimental medicine.
Professor Bruce Campbell, Chair of the Interventional Procedures Advisory Committee which produced the guidance for NICE, commented on the potential of the new therapy, saying:
“The evidence shows that controlled cooling of selected patients who have suffered cardiac arrest can increase their chances of survival. The therapy can also reduce the risk of severe brain damage, which can occur when blood flow to the brain is disturbed. While the outcomes of therapeutic hypothermia seem to look promising, we still need to find out more about precisely which patients are most likely to benefit from its use. This is why we are encouraging further research in this area.”
Brain Injury Lawyers in New Jersey and Philadelphia
Traumatic brain injuries and brain damage can change the course of many lives. And when these injuries occur due to the negligence of another, it is normal to feel cheated and owed. Brain injuries can cause the need for expensive and life long treatments and care, things that very few people are prepared to pay for.
If your loved one has suffered a traumatic brain injury, and you believe it was caused by the negligence of another, you probably have many questions your regarding your legal rights. Contact the Mininno Law Office for a free case evaluation, or call for a free consultation at 856-833-0600 in New Jersey, or 215-567-2380 in Philadelphia.